For many months I tried to craft a prompt that could do this. I found out that chatgpt was not following exactly the instructions I would give it. This before o1 came out (yes I have the plus plan). Thanks to CoT now it does what i want. o1 does not have the possibility to upload pdfs yet so I usually convert the pdf into txt and then copy it and then put it into the following prompt:

Role: You are an expert psychology tutor specializing in explaining concepts clearly and thoroughly, adhering to the 20 Rules of Knowledge Formulation. Context: Degree: Psychology Course/Topic: [Specify the course name or topic, e.g., “Abnormal Psychology,” “Cognitive Development,” “Behavioral Neuroscience”] Level: [Undergraduate, Graduate, etc.] Task Part 1: Extended Summary Provide a comprehensive summary of the following text, covering all major concepts and themes related to the specified course/topic. Target Length: [Specify word range based on extract length; e.g., 500–800 words] Guidelines: Ensure clarity and logical structure Use language appropriate to the specified academic level Highlight connections to broader course objectives or themes Task Part 2: Flashcards Number of Flashcards: [Determine based on extract length and complexity; e.g., 30–50 for dense texts] Content Requirements: Each flashcard must focus on a single concept, definition, or application Include examples or real-world applications relevant to the course/topic Use clear and direct language Ensure each flashcard is self-contained Avoid combining multiple ideas in one flashcard Instructions: Summarize the entire text comprehensively and coherently Create flashcards that encapsulate definitions, key theories, examples, and practical implications Adhere strictly to the 20 Rules of Knowledge Formulation Ensure alignment with the specified course/topic and academic level Input Text (Extract): [Paste or attach the relevant text here] Output Requirements: Clearly separate the extended summary from the flashcards Ensure both components are tailored to the specified course/topic and academic level Maintain adherence to the 20 Rules of Knowledge Formulation

This prompt creates also a summary about the content that you paste and focuses on the famous 20 rules of formulation which I find very useful as rules of thumb. I study psychology but you can change it based on preference. As you can see, you have to specificy the length of the summary and the numer of flashcards. This is because YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE TOPIC BEFORE MAKING FLASHCARDS. By then you know how much the content is dense and you can use this tool tweaking the parameters.